In 1952, an obscure North Carolina songwriter tried to launch himself to fame by writing a Kefauver campaign song. The song hit the big time… but the songwriter didn’t.
Could you imagine one of today’s Senators on “American Idol”? In 1950, a collection of Washington VIPs appeared on a TV variety show to raise money for charity. It was… really something.
This is a story about one of Kefauver’s campaign songs. But it’s although the story of the plucky Nashville songwriter who leveraged the song’s success to become a D.C. society queen,
Throughout his career, Estes Kefauver used country music to connect with people and promote his campaigns.
Like Kefauver himself, it may not have impressed the powerful, but it hit home with regular people.
Kefauver wasn’t the only 1950s presidential hopeful who came up short. There was also Krajewski, the New Jersey pig farmer and bar owner, whose views were a little… different.
Estes Kefauver’s probe of organized crime turned him into a national hero, and inspired movies, TV shows… and even songs. Here’s a song that speaks to Kefauver’s crime-busting reputation.
The song most associated with Kefauver was “The Tennessee Waltz,” for better or for worse (and definitely for worse after a long campaign). But there’s a long-forgotten campaign song that captures his folk-hero appeal.
The transcripts of the organized crime hearings include a reference to a then-current pop song. Check out the song here, but beware: it’s a real earworm.
Estes Kefauver and Elvis Presley were the two most famous Tennesseans of the 1950s. Read about the time Kefauver talked about Presley… and another unusual connection between them.
In 1952, an obscure North Carolina songwriter tried to launch himself to fame by writing a Kefauver campaign song. The song hit the big time… but the songwriter didn’t.
What do Estes Kefauver, Perry Como, and Three’s Company have in common? Ray Charles! No, not that one.
Could you imagine one of today’s Senators on “American Idol”? In 1950, a collection of Washington VIPs appeared on a TV variety show to raise money for charity. It was… really something.
In 1968, Kefauver’s daughters backed the Minnesota Senator’s insurgent bid for the White House. Would their father have done the same?
Although Hank Fort leveraged her Kefauver campaign song to launch herself to fame, she stayed loyal to her home state… and her favorite Senator.
This is a story about one of Kefauver’s campaign songs. But it’s although the story of the plucky Nashville songwriter who leveraged the song’s success to become a D.C. society queen,
Throughout his career, Estes Kefauver used country music to connect with people and promote his campaigns. Like Kefauver himself, it may not have impressed the powerful, but it hit home with regular people.
Kefauver wasn’t the only 1950s presidential hopeful who came up short. There was also Krajewski, the New Jersey pig farmer and bar owner, whose views were a little… different.
Estes Kefauver’s probe of organized crime turned him into a national hero, and inspired movies, TV shows… and even songs. Here’s a song that speaks to Kefauver’s crime-busting reputation.
The song most associated with Kefauver was “The Tennessee Waltz,” for better or for worse (and definitely for worse after a long campaign). But there’s a long-forgotten campaign song that captures his folk-hero appeal.
The transcripts of the organized crime hearings include a reference to a then-current pop song. Check out the song here, but beware: it’s a real earworm.
Estes Kefauver and Elvis Presley were the two most famous Tennesseans of the 1950s. Read about the time Kefauver talked about Presley… and another unusual connection between them.
